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Rupert Murdoch: Fox News hosts ‘endorsed’ false election claims


Fox News Chairman Rupert Murdoch acknowledged under oath that several hosts with his network promoted the false notion of a stolen 2020 election, according to newly released court documents.

In a sworn deposition that was unsealed on Monday, Murdoch was questioned about the false election claim and whether hosts like Jeanine Pirro, Maria Bartiromo, Lou Dobbs and Sean Hannity promoted it. To varying degrees he acknowledged that was the case saying “yes, they endorsed.”

This recent testimony is at the center of a $1.6 billion lawsuit between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems. Dominion’s lawsuit alleges that Fox News knowingly platformed falsehoods from Trump and his lawyers — who claimed following his loss in the 2020 election that there was mass manipulation of U.S. voting systems.

During his deposition, Murdoch said Fox News itself didn’t endorse that narrative.

“I would have liked us to be stronger in denouncing it, in hindsight,” Murdoch said, according to the filing. When asked if he could have stopped the hosts from highlighting allegations on air, Murdoch responded, “I could have. But I didn’t.”

At the core of the lawsuit, Fox News is asking the court to rule in its favor under grounds of free speech and says Dominion Voting can’t justify the $1.6 billion in damages the company is asking for. Meanwhile, Dominion’s central allegation is that Fox was fully aware of false election claims and peddled them anyway in pursuit of profits.

The five-week trial between Fox and Dominion Voting Systems is set to begin in April.

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NEWLY RELEASED COURT DOCUMENTS REVEAL FOX NEWS CHAIRMAN, RUPERT MURDOCH ACKNOWLEDGED UNDER OATH THAT SEVERAL HOSTS WITH HIS NETWORK PROMOTED LIES ABOUT A STOLEN 2020 ELECTION

IN A SWORN DEPOSITION THAT WAS UNSEALED MONDAY, MURDOCH WAS QUESTIONED ABOUT THE FALSE ELECTION CLAIM AND WHETHER OR NOT HOSTS LIKE LOU DOBBS, MARIA BARTIROMO, AND JEANINE PIRRO PROMOTED IT. HE SAID YES, THEY ENDORSED IT.

NOW, THIS TESTIMONY IS AT THE CENTER OF A 1.6 BILLION DOLLAR LAWSUIT BETWEEN FOX NEWS AND DOMINION VOTING SYSTEMS. DOMINION’S LAWSUIT ALLEGES THAT FOX NEWS KNOWINGLY PLATFORMED FALSEHOODS FROM TRUMP AND HIS LAWYERS –  WHO CLAIMED WITHOUT EVIDENCE THAT THERE WAS MASS MANIPULATION OF US VOTING SYSTEMS 

RUDY GULIANI: “WE USE LARGELY VENEZUELAN VOTING MACHINES”

DISNEY POWELL: “THEY HAVE INVESTED IN IT FOR THEIR OWN REASONS AND ARE USING IT TO COMMIT FRAUD”

DURING HIS DEPOSITION, MURDOCH MADE A DISTINCTION, SAYING THAT FOX NEWS ITSELF DIDN’T BACK THE LIES BUT ACKNOWLEDGED, AND I QUOTE, “I WOULD HAVE LIKED US TO BE STRONGER IN DENOUNCING IT IN HINDSIGHT.”

WHEN ASKED ABOUT WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES SHOULD BE WHEN EXECUTIVES KNOWINGLY ALLOW LIES TO BE BROADCAST, MURDOCH SAID “THEY SHOULD BE REPRIMANDED, MAYBE GOT RID OF” 

AT THE CORE OF ALL OF THIS FOX NEWS IS ASKING THE COURT TO RULE IN ITS FAVOR UNDER GROUNDS OF FREE SPEECH AND SAYS DOMINION VOTING CAN’T JUSTIFY THE 1.6 BILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGES THEY’RE ASKING FOR – MEANWHILE DOMINION’S CENTRAL ALLEGATION IS THAT FOX WAS FULLY AWARE OF FALSE ELECTION CLAIMS AND PEDDLED THEM ANYWAY IN PURSUIT OF PROFITS

THE 5 WEEK LONG TRIAL BETWEEN FOX AND DOMINION VOTING SYSTEMS IS SET TO BEGIN IN APRIL – THAT’S YOUR QUICK BREAKDOWN – FOR MORE COVERAGE SUBSCRIBE TO US AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS .COM WHERE ITS UNBIASED STRAIGHT FACTS